


Someone to force you to care

by xylia1225



Series: Help us survive being alive-Wilton Fics [5]
Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Gen, Hangover, M/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Roommates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-01
Updated: 2014-05-01
Packaged: 2018-01-21 13:55:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,274
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1552844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xylia1225/pseuds/xylia1225
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Frederick and Will both suffer from their nightmares.  Will makes it clear to Frederick that he is not alone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Someone to force you to care

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place right after the events of "I'll always be there, as frightened as you"

Frederick initially fell asleep almost immediately, one arm drooped over Winston's back, smiling as he saw Will inflating the mattress on the floor. Frederick had almost forgotten that old thing, he hoped Will wouldn't be too uncomfortable on it.

It wasn't long, though, before his nightmares started up again.  Blood and pain and adrenaline.  The first time he woke up, Winston was whining and licking his chin while Will shook his shoulder.  After catching his breath and assuring Will he was alright, he hugged Winston close and let himself fall asleep again.

The second time he awoke, the sun was just below the horizon.  Winston was no longer in his now-sweat-soaked bed, but was instead on the floor by Will.  Frederick realized he was not the only one plagued by nightmares.  Will lay still-unconscious, shaking and sweating as Winston whined.  Frederick held his head as a throbbing pain started and crawled down to the floor.

"Will," he whispered, gently grabbing the man's shoulder.  "Will?"

Will's shaking became more violent, his head whipping from side to side.  Winston backed away as Frederick grabbed both of Will's shoulders and shouted, "Will!"

Will jerked awake, yelling something unintelligble, and tackled Frederick to the ground.  Winston started barking but made no move.  Panicked, Frederick tried to wrestle away, yelling Will's name.  Then Will snapped back to reality, saw who he had tackled, and stopped.  Both men were shaking now, eyes wide. 

"It's me, Will, it's just me," Frederick sobbed.  "Please, it's just me."

"Frederick," Will said slowly.  He sat up, dropping his head into his hands.  Frederick stayed lying on the floor, catching his breath and trying to make his body relax.  "I'm sorry, Frederick."

Frederick rolled clumsily onto his side, then pulled himself onto the air mattress next to Will.  He cleared his throat and wiped his eyes.

"It's alright," Frederick said, his voice still a little shaky.  "I guess...I suppose I should have expected that."  Winston walked over and lied down at their feet.  Both Will and Frederick started to pet him.  Frederick winced at the pain in his head, now intensified by his hangover.

"You should at least take a Tylenol, Frederick," Will said, his eyes fixed on Winston.  "You were pretty drunk last night."

"Yes," Frederick replied simply.  He wasn't sure what else to say.  Silently and slowly, he stood up and walked back to his bed.  After taking some Tylenol from his nightstand drawer, he rolled himself back into his covers and shut his eyes.

Frederick didn't fall back to sleep, but stubbornly kept his eyes closed until he heard Will get up and leave the room, Winston's paws click-clacking behind him.  He let his eyes open then, and watched the door, listening.  He heard Will go downstairs, open the front door, and close it.  The house was silent.  Frederick grabbed a pillow and hugged it tight, tears welling in his eyes.

 _What, you can't expect him to stay,_ he thought.   _He's probably embarrassed, or knows you're embarrassed.  Either way, he's not comfortable here.  Of course he left._  Frederick rolled over and grabbed the book of poetry from his nightstand.  He opened it and attempted to read, but tears kept blurring his vision.  Sighing, he put the book down and let himself cry.

A while later, as Frederick's sobs began to subside and an exhausted calm began to ease into him, he decided to go shower.  His stomach rumbled as he stood, head spinning and still pounding despite the Tylenol.  Just as Frederick was about to turn on the water, he heard his front door open.  

Frederick's heart was pounding as he pulled his clothes back on.  A moment later, loud sirens from the security system began echoing through the house.  Frederick walked slowly toward the top of his stairs and peered down.  At the bottom, Will was frantically pushing buttons on the security keypad, Winston barking frantically by his side.

"Will?" Frederick gasped under his breath.  Then he cleared his throat and shouted down, "Will!"

Will looked up, his face red with embarrassment.

"2-5-1-6-7-8," Frederick shouted as he made his way down the steps.  Will hurriedly typed in the numbers, and the alarm stopped.

"I'm sorry, Frederick," Will said.  "I was trying to be quiet so you could get more sleep."

"It's alright, Will," Frederick replied as he absentmindedly reset his security password.  "I don't think I was going to get anymore sleep, regardless."  Frederick looked at Will, then back at the keypad.

"Oh, it's no offense," he explained.  "I reset the password at least twice a day."  This time Frederick's face turned red with embarrassment.  He hadn't realized how strange that was until he said it aloud.  Will didn't seem fazed.  

"Anyway," Will said.  "I grabbed some breakfast for you."  Frederick couldn't help but let his jaw drop.  On the kitchen counter sat a cup of coffee and a brown paper bag.  Inside the bag was a bowl of oatmeal and a plain bagel.

"I wasn't sure what would be alright on the bagel," Will explained.  "I wasn't sure if you couldn't have dairy or if it's just meat, so I figured-"

"Thank you, Will," Frederick said softly.  He smiled as he sipped the coffee.  It was bitter, but of course, Frederick hadn't quite gotten used to taking his coffee black.  "This was very thoughtful of you."

The two men leaned on the kitchen counter to eat.  Frederick couldn't bring himself to eat at the table, not after what he found there.  He ate slowly, his eyes fixed looking out the window.  Will looked at him with a worried expression.

"Is there a different room you'd rather eat in?" he asked.  Frederick shook his head.

"No, no," he said.  "This is my home, and I'll be damned if Hannibal Lecter stops me from eating breakfast in my own kitchen."  Will nodded, but didn't look convinced.  Frederick was visibly shaking, the effort of keeping the memories at bay obviously taking a toll.  But he had a point, so Will ate his own breakfast in silence.

As Frederick took a sip of coffee, his shaking became violent enough to spill half the cup onto his pants and the counter.  Frederick yelled angrily and stepped back.  Will looked around to find a towel or napkin.

"I've got it," Frederick grumbled with a wave of his hand.  He walked over to the cabinet where he kept the paper towels, and stopped when he saw the blood stains on its door.  Frederick inhaled sharply as he stumbled backward.  He began to hyperventilate, his heart began to race, and he could feel himself losing control of himself.  Will rushed over to help him, but Frederick pushed him away forcefully.

"No!" He shouted. "No, no NO!"  Frederick grabbed the bag and coffee cup and flung them across the kitchen.  He grabbed his cane and swung it at the cabinets, the glass cracking more and more with each strike.

"Frederick, stop!" Will yelled, grabbing at his arms.

"You don't have this power over me!" Frederick screamed into the air.  "This is my home, this is my life!"  At last Will managed to grab onto Frederick's arms and stop him from hitting the cabinets anymore.  He pinned Frederick's arms at his side and pulled him into a tight hug.  Frederick struggled, twisting his torso left and right, before ultimately leaning into the embrace.  He was sobbing hysterically.

"This is my house," he cried softly after a few moments, his voice hoarse.  "He can't have this power over me, he can't."  Will laid his hand on the back of Frederick's head.

"I know," he said softly.  "Believe me, I know."


End file.
